The Tribes Process at Billanook

What is Tribes

Within our learning community the Tribes process underpins teaching and learning, guides our interactions and relationships and is modelled in all operational processes of the school. The Billanook Primary School community has a consistent and positive approach to behaviour and uses the Tribes process and Restorative Practices, to foster a school climate where personal responsibility and self-discipline are developed.

Tribes activities can be adapted to be a part of any lesson whether it be Literacy, Numeracy, Inquiry or the specialist areas. Using reflection time, appreciation statements, cooperative learning activities or ‘energisers’ to keep concentration levels up are all part of the Tribes process. Inclusion activities are used extensively at the beginning of a school year through our Settle In Program to ensure that children know each other well and build bonds of friendship and respect.

Wellbeing Assemblies

Each fortnight students at Billanook meet for a wellbeing Assembly in their mulit-level Tribes groups. This whole-school assembly is held prior to Tribes groups on a Monday morning and is a platform used to celebrate students who are following our school agreements and also to deliver a wellbeing message.

Wellbeing foci that we cover include:

Bucket Filling – Have you filled a bucket today?

Cyber safety

Anti-bullying – don’t be a bystander

Qualities of good friends – Friendship soup

Celebrating diversity

Acts of kindness

Team building challenges

Mindfulness

These Wellbeing Assembly messages are followed up in Tribes groups directly after assembly and also within the classrooms throughout the year. Our wellbeing messages are ingrained into the curriculum to ensure that they are not “token efforts”. We believe it is important to explicitly teach the skills and strategies students need build their capacity to be resilient, socially responsible and respectful in their relationships.

Mutual Respect

Affirming the value and uniqueness of each person. Treating others the way you would like to be treated; recognising and appreciating individual and cultural differences; and offering feedback that encourages growth.

Attentive Listening

Paying close attention to one another’s expression of ideas, opinions and feelings; checking for understanding and to let others know that they have been heard. Concentrating to ensure learning instructions are understood.

Appreciation / No Put Downs

Personal Best

Aiming to improve on your own personal efforts; striving towards an optimum level across all aspects of the curriculum.

Right to Pass

Educating students to understand that they have the “Right to Pass” when being influenced to participate in behaviours that are not aligned with the other Tribes Agreements. Promoting the idea of making smart behaviour choices and encouraging them to be upstanders when they witness behaviours that go against our school values. Right to Pass also appreciates that students need think time and will not be put on the spot to answer a question if they require time.